GOOGLE SNAPS UP WAZE IN PUSH TO MAKE MAPS SOCIAL

Google has acquired map-software provider Waze, seeking to keep competitors such as Facebook and Apple from eroding its lead in mobile-navigation programs.

Terms of the deal for Waze, with offices in Palo Alto and in Israel, weren’t disclosed in Google’s blog post announcing the purchase Tuesday. The price was about $1.1 billion, a person familiar with the transaction said earlier this week.

As consumers shift to smartphones and tablets and away from personal computers, Facebook and Google are increasing efforts to court customers on the move. Waze, whose mobile app solicits input from almost 50 million users to improve directions and display traffic and road-hazard details, would provide social features for Google’s navigation tool. It may also help Google extend its dominance in maps over rival Apple.

Waze would let Google, owner of the world’s most popular search engine, eliminate a threat to its homegrown navigation app, Facebook, the world’s largest social network. Facebook, aiming to bolster its own mobile strategy, offered Waze almost $1 billion last month, two people familiar with the matter said in May.

Waze’s mobile app, which runs on Apple’s iOS operating system and Google’s Android software, alerts users to potential traffic slowdowns or suggests alternative ways to reach destinations. The service also notifies drivers of roadwork, speed traps and other potential hazards, using input from users. With free tools available over the Web and on mobile devices, Waze generates revenue via location-based advertising.